Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Balaji Charlu, MD
Pain Medicine · Newport Beach, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Charlu from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Charlu
Dr. Balaji Charlu is a pain medicine specialist in Newport Beach, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Charlu performed 6,326 Medicare services across 3,164 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Charlu received a total of $9,332 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 80 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Charlu is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 12% volume in CA
$9,332 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,326
Medicare services
Top 12% in CA for pain medicine
3,164
Unique beneficiaries
$60
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~333 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
2,203 | $1 | $5 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
807 | $103 | $311 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 533 | $6 | $26 |
| Musculoskeletal remote monitoring device supply, 30 days A device supply that records and transmits data for remote monitoring of the musculoskeletal system over a 30-day period. |
411 | $46 | $180 |
| Remote therapy monitoring setup and education This service involves setting up equipment and providing patient education for the remote monitoring of therapy. |
409 | $17 | $62 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
277 | $248 | $960 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
198 | $55 | $242 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
155 | $105 | $249 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
136 | $138 | $480 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
118 | $401 | $1,412 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
103 | $9 | $26 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
102 | $223 | $601 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
89 | $231 | $900 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
84 | $100 | $430 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
84 | $163 | $579 |
| Remote therapeutic monitoring, first 20 minutes Physician management of remote therapeutic monitoring data for the first 20 minutes per calendar month. |
75 | $43 | $153 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
74 | $35 | $130 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
74 | $119 | $1,560 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
72 | $81 | $274 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
58 | $75 | $212 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
43 | $89 | $795 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
38 | $12 | $85 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
28 | $34 | $130 |
| Remote therapeutic monitoring, additional 20 minutes This service covers the physician's time for managing remote therapeutic monitoring data beyond the initial monthly allotment. It applies for each additional 20-minute increment used within a calendar month. |
25 | $34 | $112 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
24 | $50 | $300 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
23 | $91 | $600 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
23 | $0 | $5 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
22 | $24 | $90 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
19 | $143 | $560 |
| MRI of upper spine without contrast An MRI scan of the upper spinal canal that does not use contrast dye. This imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the spine. |
19 | $114 | $1,564 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$9,332
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,333/year across 7 years
Top 20% in CA for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
15
Companies
80
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,916 (52.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,416 (47.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$503
2023
$2,417
2022
$493
2021
$214
2020
$288
2019
$1,511
2018
$3,907
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$466
Avanos Medical
$22
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
PFIZER INC.
$4,841
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$1,590
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$1,004
Nevro Corp.
$864
Boston Scientific Corporation
$527
SI-BONE, Inc.
$248
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$56
Stryker Corporation
$43
Medtronic, Inc.
$31
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$26
Bioventus LLC
$24
Avanos Medical
$22
MEDLINE INDUSTRIES LP
$20
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$18
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 79.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COOLIEF* COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY · GELSYN-3 · INC. · INFINION · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Intracept · Iovera · LYRICA · MEDLINE INDUSTRIES · MONOVISC · Morphabond ER · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Omnia · SPINEJACK · SPRINT PNS System · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · iFuse Implant
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
The majority of payments (53%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pain medicine and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
Pain medicines within 10 mi
18
Per 100K population
0.6
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
COLLEGE HOSPITAL COSTA MESA
2.8 mi
2.8 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Charlu is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 20% of CA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Charlu experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Charlu performed 2,203 steroid injection (triamcinolone) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Charlu receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Charlu received a total of $9,332 from 15 companies across 80 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Charlu's costs compare to other pain medicines in Newport Beach?
Dr. Charlu's average Medicare payment per service is $60. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Charlu) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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